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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · bay · pit · plane · cell · wax · dip · hand

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. plane — a tool
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. cell — a phone
  6. bear — the animal
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wax — to grow
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. pit — a hole
  18. hand — help
  19. cell — in biology
  20. bear — the animal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. plane — in geometry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com